Ugandan army to continue operations in Dem. Rep. of Congo amid withdrawal report

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - The Ugandan army said Friday that it will continue fighting alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo’s army to eliminate ADF rebels after some Congolese claimed the army assisted M23 rebels in capturing the border town of Bunagana.

The leading opposition newspaper in Uganda, The Monitor, said the army is pulling out of the Democratic Republic of Congo because of allegations it assisted M23 rebels in capturing Bunagana.

The army denied the allegations in a statement signed by Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye.

“This is to notify that the operation in DR Congo, code named SHUJA, has not been halted. This is to put it clear that Operation SHUJA is still ongoing as we continue to hunt down," he said.

Kulayigye said the army was embarrassed by stories that said it is withdrawing forces.

''We apologize for any confusion caused by the story in the Daily Monitor of today 17 June 2022,” he said.

M23 rebels took control this week of the Bunagana, near the border with Uganda.

A group of Congolese accused the Ugandan army of aiding the rebels which Ugandan authorities vehemently denied.

M23 rebels in Congo claimed they recently mounted new attacks on the Congolese army because the Democratic Republic of Congo government has failed to implement what was agreed on in the peace talks in 2013.